


You Found Me

by PrintDust



Category: Walking Dead (TV)
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-08-01
Updated: 2014-08-01
Packaged: 2018-02-11 09:05:12
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,481
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2062188
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/PrintDust/pseuds/PrintDust
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>He squints at the car, its sole headlight burning his eyes that are sensitive already from being held in the dark container for days.</p>
            </blockquote>





	You Found Me

They're running, their hearts pounding in time with the soles of their bare feet on the torn gravel ground beneath them. His head pounds as he strains to hear anything other than rumbling explosions that rock the night and discharging gunfire, piercing and dangerous, but thankfully no longer on their heels, kicking up dirt just inches from their feet. He is still gripping Carl's arm, dragging him behind him, distinctly aware of the boy's pained pants for air.

"I think we can stop," Maggie gasps, slowing just over his shoulder until she is in a slow jog. Her voice interrupts his inner mantra –

Just keep moving. Keep moving. Don't stop. Just keep moving…

He realizes that he isn't sure where they are anymore, or how far exactly they have come. Faltering, Rick stops pushing and stops, turning to the group who are walking now, some bent double, others arching their backs, sucking in unsteady breaths of chilly night air. Carl pulls his arm free and flops over at his waist, his palms braced on his upper thighs. The distinctive sound of retching followed by a stream of white vomit that splatters at his feet has Rick reaching for him. Michonne beats him to it and closes her arms around the boy before she shoves his hat into Rick's chest. Holding it steady in his trembling hands he watches her drag Carl's sopping hair back off his forehead, her low voice reassuring him. "Keep moving or you'll cramp up."

Seeing that his son is in good hands, Rick sweeps the woods around them for any signs of danger, though Daryl and Abraham already have it covered, the two men standing stoically back to back at the rear of the group.

"What do we do?" Maggie winces and Glenn slips his arm around the small of her back, steadying her.

He and Abraham begin to speak at the same time then both fall silent. When the other man doesn't start again, Rick steps in, "Can't stay here. We don't know if they're pursuing and we can't risk it."

"We don't have any weapons," Abraham speaks up again, moving towards Rick. "We need to find somewhere to keep our heads low until we ca-"

Rick nods in agreement. "I know," he cuts the other man off. "I think we've put enough distance between us and them for now. We'll hunker down in the first place we find."

"What the hell happened back there?" Daryl has started moving again, his feet slipping off the asphalt and onto the rocky shoulder of the road.

As bewildered as the other man, Rick shakes his head and follows him into the shallow ditch at the side of the road, the grass soothing against the burning soles of his bare feet. They'd been let out of the boxcar to take care of their business when all of a sudden something had exploded over his shoulder. They'd used the distraction as an opportunity to flee, not bothering to figure how it'd all gone down in the first place.

"Car!" Rosita's voice filters in a hushed bark that sends them scrambling into the ditch at the side of the road, their backs finding the soft soil incline that rises up into the woods behind them. Closing his hand around Carl's shoulder, Rick guides the boy into his side, trying his best to conceal him.

"Keep low," Abraham grunts, holding his hand to motion them all further down. The tires of the low vehicle move slowly, popping loose gravel under its rubber treads. It is missing a headlight and its choked engine is deafening in the otherwise silent woods around them. The car rolls slowly, then halts just a few feet back from where they are crouched, all holding their breaths in painful anticipation. Rick is already reaching for anything that he can use as a weapon, and finally his hand closes around a rock that is cool, but rough against his palm.

He squints at the car, its sole headlight burning his eyes that are sensitive already from being held in the dark container for days.

"I'll count it down," Abraham speaks again, his voice low enough that it barely carries to everyone in their huddle.

The car jostles as the door groans as it opens and someone slides out from behind the wheel, boots crunching on the pavement. Heart picking up speed, Rick tightens his grip on the rock, his entire body becoming rigid as he prepares to spring forward.

"Rick," the large figure moves in front of the headlight, the man's arm extended, as though reaching out for them in the dark. "It's me."

"Tyreese!" Maggie is on her feet in a second and is scrambling up the incline back onto the road, Glenn on her heels. Carl slips out of his grasp too and Rick follows, Michonne's hand pressed against his shoulder blade, pushing him upwards.

There is an eruption of hushed speaking that is too loud for his own comfort but he ignores it, knowing they will be on their way in no time at all, finally. "Jesus, am I glad-," Rick grabs the other man's hand when there is a parting in the crowd just wide enough for him to slip through.

"Likewise," Tyreese pulls him into a hug that is no more than their arms locking and their chests meeting for the briefest of seconds.

Rick takes a step back, his hands falling to his waist that feels empty without his belt and python. "Was that you back there?" he asks, settling back onto his heels.

"Yeah, I had some hel-," he is cut off by a piercing cry that cuts through the night and sends them all scattering into a semi-circle formation. Rick however, freezes, his heart seizing at the sound that he knows poses no threat. Carl, who he hadn't realized was at his side, froze too, the brim of his hat catching the light as he lifted his head to look at Rick wide-eyed.

Moving forward, almost on auto-pilot his eyes fixed on a set of grey once through the front windshield of the car. He hadn't even noticed the passenger seat was occupied. Pushing between Sasha and Maggie, he felt the group's eyes on him as he rounded the front of the car as the door opened. Carol, his vision swept over her cropped grey hair first as she rose from the car, past her impish features, then downward to the wiggling bundle in her arms, his eyes settling on a pair of palm-sized feet. One covered in a green sock and the other bare, its tiny toes flexed as the baby let out another whine.

"Judith," the name fell from his lips on the tail of a sob as emotion crashed into his chest, winding him. Knees weak, he fell into her and Carol, his arms winding around the woman's back.

Thoughts, swirling, racing, leaping around in his mind, he waited for calm, and Carol waited with him, her own hand sliding over his neck to guide her head to his. "She's okay," the woman assured him, her voice watery. "Your girl's okay."

Nodding, Rick pulled back, his arms locked around the trunk of his daughter, whose fingers found his beard with a thud to his cheek. "You're okay," he muttered, guiding her to his chest, one arm sweeping under her to gather her legs.

Carl sank into his side, the boy's head finding the small of his sister's back. Balancing Judith with one arm, Rick pulled his son closer, and for the first time in days he felt like he could breathe again.

They piled in and on the car, weighing it down until its suspension make a clunking sound each time they hit a pothole. Sandwiched in the backseat between Carl and Carol, Rick pressed a kiss to his sleeping daughter's head, her soft brown hair silky-smooth against his lips.

"Think they're okay back there?" Carl asked, craning around to look through the rear-window to view that was obstructed by the trunk lid. With the cab filled to capacity, the remaining members of the group had taken a seat in the trunk, Daryl being the first to volunteer.

"It's just for now," Rick assured him, motioning for him to move closer. "Use my arm to rest your head. Get some rest."

Nodding, Carl accepted the offer, his eyes falling closed within minutes. Laying his own head back, Rick found Carol's hand with his own and laced his fingers through her thinner ones. "Thank you," he swallowed, squeezing her hand.

"Go to sleep, Rick," she nudged him lightly.

He dropped off, unable to swallow back small smile that played in the corner of his lips at the sound of Carl's light snore and the feeling of Judith's breath against his throat, hot puffs of air that warmed him entirely.


End file.
